The price differential between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for an R3 grade heifer carcass continued to widen in the week ending November 27.
Farmers in the Republic of Ireland received on average 372.9c/kg for an R3 heifer in the week ending November 27, figures from the Livestock and Meat Commission show.
This was an increase of 4c/kg on prices received at the end of October. Despite this increase the price gap between north and south widened to 36.4c/kg.Â
Meanwhile, farmers in the North received on average the equivalent of 409.3c/kg, 33.2c/kg above the EU average in the week ending November 27.
Taking this into account, a farmer in the Republic of Ireland will receive close to €102 less for a 280kg R3 grade heifer carcass compared prices north of the border.
Meanwhile, at the end of the final week in November the EU average heifer price stood at 376.1c/kg, an increase of 1.9c/kg from the week ending October 30.
This meant that prices in the Republic of Ireland remained below the EU average, by 3.2c/kg, figures show.
Source: LMC
Britain
For the week ending November 27, the average R3 heifer carcass price in Britain was 421.8c/kg, in a week when one euro was the equivalent of 85.3p.
Compared to the week ending October 30, this represented an increase of 23c/kg. The British R3 heifer price was also 45.7c/kg more than the EU average at the end of November.
In the week ending November 27, prices received in Britain were 48.9c/kg higher than those in the Republic of Ireland or the equivalent of €136.92/head.
Meanwhile, the price difference between Britain and Northern Ireland at the end of the same week stood at 12.5c/kg or €35/head, figures from the LMC show.
EU League Table
The Republic of Ireland remains in eight position in the EU league table for R3 grade heifer prices.
France, Spain, Italy and Luxembourg all lie ahead of the Republic of Ireland on the EU league table.
Significant price increases in both Britain and Northern Ireland have seen them jump to second and third, respectively, in the league table.
Sweden remains comfortably on top of the EU league table, despite a price fall of 8c/kg, with an R3 grade heifer price of 457.7c/kg in the week ending November 27.
